Greedy Fuel Attendants Make A Killing From Fuel Woes

Petrol attendants stationed at service stations in and around Harare have been accused of corruption and fueling the black market, for taking bribes from cronies who are bypassing fuel queues using jerry cans and reselling the scarce commodity at a premium.

As observed by this publication and H-Metro, preference was given to cronies paying bribes to petrol attendants who where using Jerry cans to by pass the long traffic cars waiting for fuel.

These cronies then resold the fuel at hefty prices to motorists on the same queue and elsewhere for between $20 to $35 for five litres.

Motorists queued up at Puma service station in Mabelreign cried foul over petrol attendants slowing down the movement of fuel queues by giving first preference to people coming with Jerry cans over motorists who had queued up since as early 8 a.m.

”it is unfair that petrol attendants are routing fuel to the black market here using touts and taxi drivers who are buying fuel using Jerry cans”

Most motorists believe that there is no real shortage of fuel, but that corruption in the delivery of the precious oil by fuel attendants was giving the impression of long queues by prioritizing selling to their cronies, fueling the black market.

Pirate taxi drivers are said to be the kingpins in these illegal deals as they bribe petrol attendants to fill their Jerry cans.

A number of clashes have occurred between angry motorists and Jerry can hires, with motorists questioning the absurdity of why Jerry cans where being given priority over motorists who had queued up for a day’s length.

The fuel shortages started in early October after the fiscal and monetary reforms by Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube and had abated temporarily after an increase in foreign currency allocations for fuel by the government but resurfaced in the last two weeks.

Amid the persisting fuel crisis the government continues to maintain that there is enough fuel, with the consumption having passed the normal threshold in the country, the government is being forced to churn out more foreign currency to ease the shortages. As a result, a number of people are questioning, does the government have a real solution to this problem?